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CONVERTER.

Patei ted Mar. 25, 1884.

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OONVE'RTER.

Patented Mar, 25, 1884.1

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T. GRIFFITHS.

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CONVERTER.

No. 295.545, 'PaJti lted Ma 25 1884.

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THOMAS GRIFFITHS, OF ABERGAVEN N Y, GOUN TY OF MON MOUTH, ENGLAND.

CQNVERTER' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 295,545, dated Ii/[arch 25, 188%.

. Application filed November 3, 1883. (No model.) Patented in England May 19, 188 No. 2,504.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs GRIFFITHS, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Abergavenny, in the county of Monmouth, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Converters, (for which I have received Letters Patent in Great Britain, No. 2,504, dated May 19, 1883,) of which the following is a specification.

The invention has for its object improvements in means or apparatus employed in the manufacture of iron and steel.

In the specification of Letters Patent granted 1 to WVilliam John Olapp and myself, dated February 6,1883, No. 271,683, is described amethd of closing and opening the passage through the tuyeres by means of plugs or stoppers formed to fit seats at the rear ends of the tuyeres, such plugs or stoppers'being provided with pistons fitting cylinders, which pistons are acted upon in one direction to force the plugs or stoppers against their seats to close the passage through the tuyeres, and in the other direction to remove the plugs or stoppers from their seats, and thereby open the passage through the tuyeres; and in order to prevent the metal cooling within the tuyere when the plug or stopper is forced-to its seat, a small aperture is formed in the plug or stopper and in its tubular rod to enable a small blast of air to enter the tuyere.

In the specification of an application filed by me on October 15, 1883, Serial No. 109,184, I described methods of closing the passage through the tuyeres by sliding valves or covers mounted on axes of motion, so as to move in a circular path, or in guides, so as to move in a right line.

Instead of using the means and apparatus above referred to for effectingthe closing and opening of the passage through the tuyere, I, according to my present invention, form or fix a stuffing-box in the cover of each blast box or chamber, and pass therethrough a tube, to which the plugor stopper isfixed, and in such case the outer end of the tube has removably fitted therein a stopper,which,when removed, enables a view of the tuyere to be obtained, and I give motion to the tube, and consequently to the plug or stopper, by aweighted lever acting upon the same by suitable connections, and operated by a rod or chain connected to a rod or chain passing around the converter and supported on suitable guides. Ialso employ a small tube passed through a comparatively large tube carrying and operating the stopper. The smaller tube has formed on the outside thereof a screw which screws into a nut formed or fixed in the end of the larger tube, by which means I am enabled by rotating the smaller tube to'adjust the nozzle there- I of to any required position within the tuyere. Instead of passingthe small blast of air through a small aperture in the center of the plug or stopper, such aperture can be formed around the edge of the plug or stopper, or in the seat for the same. I also provide large openings in the converter above the tuyeres to facilitate repairs, and I close these openings by suitable blocks or doors.

In order that my said invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into effect, Iwill proceed, aided by the accompanying drawings, more fully to describe the same.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, Fig. 2 is partly an elevation and partlyavertical section, and Fig. 3 is a plan; partly in sec tion, of a converter with my present improve ments applied thereto. Fig. 4 is a horizon- .tal section of parts of the above converter drawn to a larger scale, and showing a slight modification. Fig. 5 is a front'elevation,and Fig. 6 is a vertical section, of a modification.

In the various figures like parts are marked with similar letters of reference.

a is the body .of the converter. .12 is the chargingaperture. c are the tuyeres. cl is the main blast-pipe surrounding the upper part of the converter, and d d are branch blast-pipes conveying the blast from the main blast-pipe d to the blast boxes or chambers e, and f is the discharge-aperture. The parts above described form no part of my present invention.

I will first describe my invention as represented at Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4.

In carrying my present inventioninto effect I form or fix a stuffing-box, e' in the cover e of each blast box or chamber 6, and pass therethrougha tube, g, to which the plug or stopper 9 is fixed, and in such case the outer end of the tube g has removably fitted therein a stopper, g", which, when removed, enables a view of the tuyere to be obtained,and I give supported on suitable guide-rollers, 70.

act in combination with a grooved collar, 9 screwed or otherwise adjustably fixed on the tube g, and such weighted clutch-lever h is,as shown by the full lines, operated by a rod, 2', which is connected thereto by a link, i, and by a link, l to a circular rod, j, passing around the upper part of the converter, where it is A lever, l, is connected to the rodj, to enable the same to be readily moved in either direction, as may be required. The parts i, i,and i may, however, be dispensed with, and, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, a chain, 6 may be used in lieu thereof, in which case one end of the chain would be connected directly with the clutch lever h, and after passing over a guide-wheel, it is connected at its other end with the circular rod j. By the means above described the plug or stopper can be caused to open the passage through the tuyere by simply moving the lever l in the direction of the arrow, a suitable stop or catch (not shown) being-provided to retain said lever l in such position when required,while by relieving the lever l from such stop or catch the weighted clutch-levers h will be free to act, and will thereby cause the plugs or stoppers g simultaneously to close all the passages through the tnyeres 0. By disconnecting the rod t or chain i from the clutch-lever h, any of the tnyeres 0 can be closed independently of the others.

To facilitate adjustment I sometimes pass the tube 9 through a larger tube, i which latter carriesand operates the plug or stopper In this case the tube ,9 has formed on the outside thereof a screw-thread, which screws into a nut formed or fixed in the outer end of the tube 9*, by which means I am enabled, by rotating the tube to adjust the nozzle thereof to any required position within the mouth of the tuyere, and thereby to regulate the area of the opening in the end of the tuyere, and consequently the amount of blast passing through the tuyere. This regulation is necessary when it is found that the blast passing through any tuyere is in excess or short of that required. Holes 9 g are formed in the tubes 9 to enable the blast to pass into the interior of the tube 9, so that when the plugs or stoppers g are forced against the ends of the tnyeres a small stream of blast is permitted to pass into the tnyeres through the tubes 9, in order to keep the metal out of the tnyeres.

At Figs. 5 and 6 I have represented parts of a converter with two tnyeres 0 side by side in a single blast-boX e. In this case both the plugs or stoppers g are simultaneously operated by a single weighted clutch lever h, formed with two forks at its lower end, as shown at Fig. 5.

Instead of passing the small blast of air through a small aperture in the center of the plug or stopper a passage or passages can be formed around the edge of the plug or stopper g, or in the seat for the same at the end of the tuyere, as will be well understood.

I also provide large openings 0 in the gonverter above the tnyeres c, to' facilitate repairs of the interior of the converter from the exterior thereof, and thereby avoid the necessity for entering the converter when repairing the same, and I close these openings 0 by suitable blocks or doors; but I do not claim this as part of my present invention.

It isadmitted that sight-holes through the casing have beendevised for use in a cupola in connection with tnyeres having means for closing them; but the construction is different from mine, as it has no tubular stem for operating a stopper having an opening through it. It is also admitted that hollow spindles of hydrocarbon burners and furnaces, open from end to end, to admit air, have been devised, and that such spindles have been placed in other tubes in which they were adjustable to regulate the relative flow of oil and air; but such adjustment was not designed to affect the movement of a tuyere-valve, and was not applicable for such purpose, and hence such devices do not anticipate applicants construction.

Having thus described the nature of my said invention and the mode in which I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim is 1. In "a converter having blast-chambers and tuyeres, the combination of stem or tube 9, plug or stopper 9, grooved collar g and weighted clutch-lever h, connected to the rod j, by which all the plugs or stoppers g are simultaneously operated, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose stated.

2. In a converter having blast-chambers and tuyeres, the combination of the axially-moving .tube 9* and stem or tube g with a plug or stopper, and means for adjusting the stem or tube 9 with relation to the tube 9* and to the tuyere, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. In a converter having external air-chambers, the combination of the tuyere with its plug or stopper and one or more small grooves in their meeting faces, to admit a small stream of air to the tuyere when the valve is closed, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. In a converter having external blastchambers, the combination of the tnyeres and theirplugs or stoppers with sliding stems for operating said plugs or stoppers from the out Consular Clerk, Newport, Monmouth; 

